Equilibrium
by uNperfectXxXx
Summary: 'When the boy – Luffy, was it? – comes up to him after the wedding and tells him very seriously that he will kill him if he ever hurts Nami Zoro snorts and tries (and fails) to explain to him the concept of arranged marriage. Luffy doesn't get it. He just picks his nose and dubs it a mystery thing.' - ZoLu, small mentions of ZoNa and LawLu


**This started as a small thing but somehow grew longer and longer and eventually just totally got out of hand. Whatever, I hope you like it :)**

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**Equilibrium**

When the boy – Luffy, was it? – comes up to him after the wedding and tells him very seriously that he will kill him if he ever hurts Nami Zoro snorts and tries (and fails) to explain to him the concept of arranged marriage. Luffy doesn't get it. He just picks his nose and dubs it a mystery thing.

When Luffy visits them in their house for the first time – and it's_ their_ house now because they're _married_, ugh – Zoro finds that he really doesn't mind the little one's company because after the initial threat at the wedding they just _clicked _and that was that.

When Nami tells Luffy that he ought to go home once in a while Zoro just laughs because their house might as well be Luffy's home. And longnose's and the shitty cook's, too, but that's not really important.

When over the stretch of barely a month their group expands to a rather strange assortment of individuals all piling in their once quiet living room Zoro has already forgotten that he's a loner by nature.

When Luffy brings in a stray dog named 'Chopper', beaming with barely-contained excitement, Nami bitches and Zoro grumbles, but they still buy a leash and a dog bowl the same evening.

When Chopper jumps into Zoro's bed to cuddle up to him for the night he scoots over to make space for the two boys who are sure to follow in two or three seconds.

When he comes down for breakfast he fixes two cups of coffee instead of one because he knows the archaeologist stayed up all night and slept in late. She never says anything, but when he comes home in the evening the already opened can of beer on the couch table is thanks enough.

When Franky asks them if they want to take a look at some blueprints he thought up they don't say anything. They just hand him a check.

When Zoro heaves the last suitcase into their new house and finds Usopp and Luffy wrestling with Chopper on the floor while the cook and Nami yell at them to keep it the fuck down and the just slightly crazy musician laughs and starts up an old sailor tune in the background he can't help but feel that he is finally_ home._

When Luffy comes up to him during nap-time and demands that he play tag with the younger boys he tries to refuse and folds like a flower after one look at big, dark eyes. It doesn't really occur to him until the cook spitefully points it out just how often that happens now.

When Usopp brings his girlfriend over for the first time he watches them laugh and hug and kiss and can't for the life of him figure out where the sudden bout of jealousy comes from. Then Nami elbows him in the solar plexus and he remembers.

When he plays with the boys later that day and finds his gaze lingering on a wide grin and a scarred chest one time too often he's not quite sure what to make of it. So when his attention is diverted by the need to save the target of his staring from drowning in the pool yet _again_ he gladly lets it slip from his mind.

When Nami's step-father Gen-san stops by for Thanksgiving and fixes Zoro with a look that promises pain if he so much as _thinks_ about treating his daughter the wrong way Zoro nods and feels inexplicably guilty.

When Luffy storms into the living room, shouting that he wants to play pirates as he and Usopp are prone to do nobody pays it much mind until he promptly designates Zoro as his first mate. Many eyes turn towards the swordsman asleep on the couch, not quite following that train of thought, but when Nami asks why Luffy just laughs and says "Because he's _Zoro_, duh", like that explains everything. And Zoro – who isn't as asleep as everyone thinks – starts to wonder why Luffy's words make him feel so warm.

When Luffy stuffs his face at the table that evening and it takes one of Sanji's kicks to shock Zoro out of watching the boy with a fond smile he realizes he's got a problem.

When he asks Brook about it on a quiet night, maybe after drinking a little more than usual, the old man smiles at him knowingly and says "He's different around you, Zoro-san." He doesn't really get it until he jokingly says "A mystery thing, huh?" and wonders just when he started picking up Luffy's habits.

It's when Luffy laughs, just laughs like he does every other day but not and somehow _more_ that Zoro finally understands. Luffy is different from the others not because he was Zoro's first friend but because he was the first to become Zoro's _everything_.

When the cook tells him to stop staring at Luffy because he's already married to the beautiful, wonderful Nami-san and what more can he possibly want in his shitty life Zoro is silent. He just lets the cook talk and talk and talk and _god, why won't he shut up?_ until a foot finds his face and he's back in his comfort zone.

When Luffy comes home one day and introduces Trafalgar Law as his boyfriend Zoro doesn't eat. Or sleep. Or cry. He just loses everything.

When Luffy gets angry and shouts "You don't even know him, how can you say that?" all Zoro can do is watch him storm out thinking _Don't go, don't leave me, I hate you, I_ love_ you._

When they break up it's Zoro who holds him, who watches him cry and cry and cry and asks himself what that bastard Law did to deserve those tears.

When Luffy bounces back from the drama like nothing happened and his laughter effortlessly chases the depressed silence in their house away Zoro's world finally rights itself.

When he catches Nami's eye from around where Luffy is perched on his shoulder and she gives him _that look_ he realizes that she knows. Still Zoro doesn't look away or apologize. He just watches her walk out and close the door.

When Nami taps him on the forehead with a smile and holds out her wedding ring, saying "Go get him, boy" he pulls her into a hug, feeling her laugh slightly tearfully into his shoulder, and presses a kiss to her hair. It reminds him that for all of her nagging and bitching she really is his best friend.

When he tells Luffy the news of his divorce he doesn't quite expect the big smile or the exuberant hug, but he doesn't fight it either. He doesn't even realize that he started laughing until Luffy joins in and Zoro's found his new favorite sound in the world.

When he finally kisses Luffy he freezes and almost panics because he doesn't know what to do until Luffy knows it for him, pulling him closer and not letting go. By the time Zoro is conscious enough to wrap his arms around the smaller boy he's holding back happy tears.

It's when he hears the congratulations and 'Finally, god, what took you so long?'s, when he sees the grinning faces of his new family and looks down at the boy in his arms who's beaming up at him with a smile as radiant as the sun. He knows it right then.

Roronoa Zoro is the luckiest man alive.


End file.
